Summary
TheResident Evilfranchise is chock-full of diverse and fascinating characters, some of which became immediate fan favorites among the community. ManyResident Evilfans adore the games' most prominent characters, like Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, and Chris Redfield, but the almost thirty-year-old series boasts a treasure trove of compelling characters, some of which fly under the radar as nothing more than one-shot wonders in a singleResident Evilgame — never to be seen again.
There are so many characters that haven’t made the same lasting impression as Claire Redfield and Albert Wesker, but they had a much more substantial role than it seemed at the time, and they’re horrendously underrated for it. Plus, some of these characters are just wildly entertaining and grossly underused.
Raymond isn’t a playable character, and he’s rarely seen inRevelations, but he’s one-half of a dastardly duo that catches players completely off guard. He’s shifty, cynical, and always brooding, but Raymond’s partnership with Parker becomes unexpectedly wholesome late-game, and it only makes his eventual betrayal more poignant.
Raymond is a classic cartoonish villain whose complicated admiration for Parker adds several layers of complexity to a character that would otherwise be a washout. TheRevelationsstoryline got dropped by Capcom in favor of Claire and Moira inRevelations 2, so it’s disheartening that his and Jessica’s motivations remain largely a mystery.
9Jessica Sherawat
An Unexpectedly Multifaceted Femme Fatale
Jessica worked as a triple agent for Tricell,betraying both the FBC and the BSAA, and ultimately destroying the Queen Zenobia. She has no real motivation behind her actions, which makes her a definite wildcard. She’s about as cunning and unpredictable as Ada Wong, but with a lot less exposure, and it’s a shame that Jessica never really gets the chance to shine.
There’s an unpredictability about Jessica that’s strangely endearing, especially since she’s never fully transparent and always keeps her cards close to her chest. Just like Raymond, she didn’t get enough development from Capcom to be a worthwhile character, but there’s a lot of potential there if she ever returned for a future sequel.
Ricardo Irving and Excella Gionne — while both unique and thoroughly entertaining supporting antagonists — didn’t stand a chance inResident Evil 5as accessories to the franchise’s most iconic human villain.They were essentially transitional bosses to Weskerand therefore forgettable, unfortunately, but it didn’t need to be that way. Irving is underrated due to sheer absurdity.
A lot of the olderResident Evilgames can be described as campy, so for a character as flamboyant as Irving, he fits right in with Chris' cheesy one-liners and Wesker’s supervillain monologues. He definitely got demoted in favor of Wesker, which is to be expected, but Irving’s silly voice and hilarious dialogue make him a surefire source of comic relief for the harrowing narrative ofResident Evil 5.
Piers Nivans was a welcome addition to Chris Redfield’s campaign inResident Evil 6and one of many likable side characters that complement the main cast well. He was the polar opposite of Chris, serving as the “straight man” to his jokester personality. Piers could have been part of the next generation of theResident Evilcast, particularly once the Ethan Winters storyline had wrapped up inResident Evil Village, but his time was tragically cut short.
He was one of the highlights ofResident Evil 6for his bravery, his devotion to Chris Redfield, and his overall character development. He was also one of the best parts of Chris' campaign, but ultimately met the same fate as too many otherResident Evilsidekicks.
6Excella Gionne
An Entertaining Counterpart To Wesker
As mentioned, Irving and Excella didn’t get the opportunity to steal the spotlight from Wesker inResident Evil 5, but both of them played their roles to perfection to hype upResident Evil’s Big Bad. Just like Irving, she’s just the right amount of campy, arrogant, and snobby, and she’s not afraid to show it.Resident Eviltook the concept of an attractive and conceited villainess and perfected it withAlex Wesker inResident Evil: Revelations 2and Lady Dimitrescu inResident Evil Village, but Excella Gionne did it first.
Her design is aesthetically pleasing from a western haute couture standpoint, plus she adds a certain panache toRE5’s story that would otherwise be lacking. She didn’t need to be anything more than Wesker’s right-hand woman, which suits her whole shtick just fine.
5Sheva Alomar
One of Resident Evil’s Best Sidekicks
In theResident Evilseries, everyone remembers Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Leon Kennedy, but all of those protagonists wouldn’t be where they are todaywithout the help of their faithful partners. Sheva is an integral part ofResident Evil 5, but she isn’t talked about nearly as much as Chris, Wesker, and Jill. She’s a very likable character by definition; kind, loyal, and dependable, but her backstory really rounds her out nicely, even though it isn’t pushed too hard in the game’s plot.
But more importantly, she’s still alive, so there’s every reason for Capcom to bring her back. Sheva’s AI inResident Evil 5gets a bad wrap, but her AI has zero bearing on her actual character, which is otherwise refreshingly diverse and only really marred by some clunky programming.
Although Rose Winters is only an infant throughout the entirety ofResident Evil Village, she becomes a playable character in the game’s DLCShadows of Rose, where she returns to the village sixteen years after Ethan’s sacrifice toface off against Mother Mirandaand search for answers as to the origins of her superhuman powers. Rose may be on the same deserted island (figuratively) as Sheva, Barry, and all the other side characters who are never seen or heard from again in Capcom’sResident Eviluniverse.
Although the Winters saga likely was a two-part special withResident Evil 7andResident Evil Villageand Rose’s chapter has closed, she’s all that remains of Ethan’s legacy and the superpower aspect is a complete deviation forResident Evilthat could be expanded upon in later titles. Rose’s character has a lot more to offer with her connection to the Mold if Capcom chooses to take any sequels down that same route.
Barry Burton was there when it all started, and he was one of the original cast members from the 1996 game that kicked off the beloved franchise. He returned to play a larger role inResident Evil: Revelations 2, where he starred in his own campaign alongside a little girl named Natalia. Barry has always landed some of the best zingers in the whole series, especially inRevelations 2when he becomes the epitome of dad jokes and poorly timed puns. His mentorship/friendship with Jill Valentine is also one of the more lovable pairings inResident Evil.
But Barry hasn’t been seen sinceRevelations 2and his appeal significantly died over timeas the remakes shifted focusto Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Leon Kennedy, and Ethan Winters. Something is lacking from aResident Evilgame without Barry or Chris' one-liners, but Barry is the perfect mix of a goofball and a serious, hardened veteran.
2Josh Stone
A Shining Star In His Own Right
Josh didn’t have a very large role to play inResident Evil 5, but he still managed to steal every single scene he was in. He’s the Good Samaritan ofResident Evil 5who always seems to pop up right when he’s needed. He sticks his neck out for Chris and Sheva constantly, helps bring Jill to safety inDesperate Escape, and he’s just an overall nice guy.
The fact that he doesn’t die is one of the most surprising twists inResident Evil, and he doesn’t have all that much characterization, but Josh has effortless charisma, he’s a cool and tragically underdeveloped character (like a lot of theResident Evilcast), and it would be a real delight to see him resurface later down the line. He was underused inResident Evil 5, but theDesperate EscapeDLC provided some hope that Josh — the resident “cool” guy — might return sooner rather than later.
1Jake Muller
The Rose To Wesker’s Ethan
In a similar fashion to the Rose Winters and Ethan Winters argument, Jake Muller is the living embodiment of Wesker’s legacy, even if he didn’t follow the same path as his mad scientist of a father. It’s an often overlooked detail that Jake is related to Wesker, which sometimes feels like an example of plot filler, but there’s ample opportunity for Jake to interact with Natalie (AKA Alex Wesker) if their paths ever cross.
He didn’t have a big role inResident Evil 6, but he developed a relationship with Sherry worth exploring that made him so much more than the sum of trope-y writing.He was the typical jerk who grew to care about someone(Sherry) but that budding romance with Sherry only solidified him as a mainstay (hopefully) in the near future. Otherwise, Jake was just a breath of fresh air with a unique personality, but he wasn’t appreciated nearly enough.
